A. You have several options for what to do with those chips. While new wood chips can look attractive along a pathway, they will soak up much of the soil's nitrogen, so they are not suitable for use around plants in their fresh form.

To address this problem, you can compost or age your wood chips until they will no longer absorb nitrogen, thus making them suitable to use in the garden among the greenery.

If you want to add the wood chips to your compost pile, do not add them all at once. You need to keep your compost pile at a ratio of at least 50 percent green matter to 50 percent brown matter. Brown matter (such as wood chips) is carbon-based, whereas green matter (grass clippings, garden trimmings or kitchen waste) is nitrogen-based. To keep a balanced environment for your compost, you need both. Add the wood chips according to that ratio, and feed the compost a little more "brown" every time you add "green." The chips still need to age, but the nitrogen-rich environment will shorten the time span.

If you do not want to add wood chips to your compost pile, make a pile of just the chips at least 4-6 feet away from any vegetation. Water them slightly with your hose so that they are damp, but not wet. Keep your pile well aerated and damp, and turn or shift the pile regularly. The wood chips on their own will need to age for at least six months in this manner before they are suitable for garden use.

Some people also incorporate wood chips into their soil to improve drainage. You can sprinkle some of the chips on your soil in early spring before planting. Incorporate the chips into the soil so they are no longer noticeable. These chips should be aged long enough that they do not rob your new plants of necessary nitrogen. This solution is handy if you want to bypass adding the chips to your compost pile, but still want to incorporate them into your soil.

Q. What shrub can I grow near my black walnut tree? — Chris, Milton

A. Black walnut trees secrete juglone, which will kill many shrubs and other plants growing under or near them. Juglone is a biochemical substance that's toxic to many plants; it's secreted from the black walnut tree's roots and leaves. But many shrubs are resistant to juglone and will survive near — if not under — black walnut trees.

The February daphne and weeping forsythia will do well near black walnuts, as will several species of euonymus. Rose of Sharon is resistant, and the tartarian honeysuckle, Virginia creeper, and black raspberries will also grow near black walnuts.

Other plants that are juglone-tolerant are mayapples, junipers, ferns, black locust, and autumn olive. Pawpaws and persimmons are also resistant.